ANYONE from outside the European Union applying for a student or work visa will be required to pay a tax levied on migrants.

This will affect hundreds of thousands of people from foreign footballers to touring Australian bar staff.

Ministers will this week announce the details of the fee, expected to be up to £50. The money will be handed to local authorities struggling to cope with the impact of immigration on schools, GP surgeries and other public services. The government hopes the tax will raise £70m over the next two years.

The decision to impose the levy follows pressure from councils in areas such as Cambridgeshire, which has the fastest growing migrant population. Some have warned they will have to raise council tax to cope with the extra pressure on public services.

In Cambridgeshire police have had to find an extra £1m a year for translation services. Ministers say foreigners coming to work in Britain must contribute to the cost.

Hazel Blears, the communities secretary, said: “While many migrants play an important role in our community, we need an honest debate about the local pressures that migration can create on our public services.

“This fund will pay for the public services in the areas where migration has the biggest impact on our local communities.”

Many Labour MPs fear a surge in support for the British National party from workers who have lost their jobs.

In a speech announcing the levy this week, Blears is expected to say: “Now more than ever it is crucial that we control migration and migrant numbers for the benefit of the country.”

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